It's recently been the case that when I'd go out with workmates and colleagues that at some point during the night, we'd all move onto cocktails after downing several beers. By far, the favourite has been the humble Mojito.

Unfortunately, the side-effect of drinking cocktails into the wee-small-hours has a negative effect on one's bank balance. At about a fiver a glass, they're not cheap - especially considering that they (usually) only contain 1 spirit.

That spirit is Rum. The classic Mojito is served with white rum (read: Bacardi), but the more 'upmarket' bars off Sheffield's West Street tend to dole out the sublime Havana Club dark rum in their cocktail offerings. Now, being a skinflint miserable sod, I decided that I'd give it a go making my *own* Mojitos, at home.

So, when we next went shopping, I picked up the following:

1 x 375ml bottle of Bacardi - I would have gotten Havana Club, had Morrisons had the common deceny to stock the blessed stuff - so far, I've only found this beautiful substance stocked at Tescos. Asda won't ever stock it, being owned by Walmart, an American company - what with the US's trade embargo on Cuba. Anyhoo, also;
1 x Mint, erm, plant. Thing.
2 x fresh limes
1 x Packet of brown sugar cubes
1 x Bottle of Tonic Water (and, yes, I've since realised that Tonic Water != Club Soda (which is actually a dumb Americanism for 'fizzy water'))

I already had a bag of icecubes in the fridge at home, and glasses weren't a problem.

So, I gets my booty home and gives it a whirl.

I cut up a lime into four segments, and juice them into 2 glasses, and then throw the limes in too. I then rip up a bunch of lime leaves and stick them in too. Then, chuck 3 brown sugar cubes in each glass. I then attacked each glass vigorously with a fork. I believe this process is called 'muddling', so says Wikipedia.

My ice cubes are the common-or-garden cube-shaped variety, and not the little shard-y types that you get in bars. I bung some ice into the blender, and pulse - for a little too long, as it turns out, as the ice turns into a very poor Slush Puppie affair. I bung this ice equally into each glass, and 'muddle' again. I then liberally dose each glass with some Bacardi, and top up with tonic water.

It looked pretty good, almost authentic, apart from it being a bit too watery. Suprisingly, it tasted beautiful!

Next time, *MORE ICE*!